Phillies Mailbag @ Phillies.com

How good will the Phillies' pitching be this season, and will Ryan Madson balk at returning to the bullpen, even though I think that's where he belongs?
-- Dana R., North Wales, Pa.

Madson has embraced his return to the bullpen, where he knows he'll play a valuable role in getting the ball to closer Tom Gordon. Madson's responsibility with Geoff Geary will be to cover innings six through eight, depending on who has the hot hand.

As for the pitching overall, I assume you're talking about the starting rotation. General manager Pat Gillick and manager Charlie Manuel are big fans of the rotation's mixture of depth, innings-eaters and experience.

Veteran Jamie Moyer is as pitching savvy as they come, and the hope is he will rub off on the staff, especially young buck Cole Hamels. Brett Myers is 30 pounds lighter and maturing into a dependable top-of-the-rotation horse that Freddy Garcia already is. Adam Eaton is a concern because of his previous health issues, but he looked good in his first outing of the spring (which is all we have to go on at the moment). Still, the Phillies feel he'll be a sound investment. Jon Lieber will either fill the spot should a starter go down or be dealt to enhance the bullpen, making that situation a potential win-win. This group is easily the best five the team has had in a while.

What will the Phillies' record be and where will they finish in the National League standings? Will they win the division, Wild Card or miss out on the postseason?
-- Drew P., Boothwyn, Pa.

Relax, Drew, the season doesn't start until April 2. Jimmy Rollins and his teammates think they're the team to beat, but the Mets, Braves and Marlins will have a say in that. The first two months will determine much of this team's fate. I'm not good with predicting win totals, but I think 86-91 wins is a reasonable call, and they'll remain in the race.

Why didn't the Phillies sign Ryan Howard to a multiyear deal? Should we expect him to be playing somewhere else after this season? I'm really worried.
-- Barry L., Harrisburg, Pa.

Unless the Phillies trade him, which is very very unlikely, Howard can't be playing anywhere else until after the 2011 season. That means at least five full seasons with the Phillies, thanks to a process called salary arbitration. There's still plenty of time for the sides to agree to a long-term contract. They tried this winter, but neither side seemed particularly motivated to get something like that.

There will be much debate over the next year as to whether the Phillies' decision to pay him $900,000 this season was the correct number. While it's the most for a player with as little Major League service time, Howard is only the second player in history to follow up a Rookie of the Year season (2005) with an MVP campaign. Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. (1982-83) was the first.

I was impressed with left-handed starter Eude Brito last year and thought the Phillies should have used him more. Do you think he'll make the team? Who do you think will win the remaining two bullpen jobs?
-- Kevin C., Delran, N.J.

Brito is still behind while he recovers from a Dec. 17 car accident he had in the Domincan Republic, and he was a longshot to make the team before that. Brito said his neck and shoulder feel better, but he hasn't been cleared to throw off a mound. He continues to play catch, though.

As for the final two bullpen jobs, it really is a wide-open competition. Gordon, Madson, Geary and Matt Smith are locks. Antonio Alfonseca is a safe bet. Rule 5 Draft picks Jim Ed Warden and Alfredo Simon are competing with Anderson Garcia, Brian Mazone, Brian Sanches, Clay Condrey and Ryan Cameron. Should the Phillies opt for 11 pitchers, then only one of those pitchers will emerge.

Why don't the Phillies give backup catcher Chris Coste a fair shot at extended playing time this year? What else does the guy have to do to get a job?
-- Scruffy C., Yardley, Pa.

Assuming the Phillies go with 12 pitchers, he's battling with lefties Greg Dobbs, Karim Garcia and Randall Simon and switch-hitter Chris Roberson for two bench jobs, and one will go to a left-handed hitter.

Dobbs has the early lead with three spring homers and a .700 average in three Grapefruit League games (through Sunday), but Garcia's .400 average isn't too shabby, either. All indications were that Coste has serious competition for the spot, and while his flexibility is an asset, he'll have to show that he still belongs in the Major Leagues.

The Phillies were a meager 41-40 last year at Citizens Bank Park. Looking at the teams who have won their division the past few years, their home records hovered around the 50-win mark. Do the players, namely those who have dealt with years of harassment (Pat Burrell), feel more comfortable and focused away from the Eagles chants and constant pressure to succeed? I think CBP needs to become a place rocking with support and intensity, like it was during the playoff push, all year long.
-- Jason G., Elizabethtown, Pa.

The defending World Series champion Cardinals, despite going 83-78 overall, went 49-31 at home, but the NL West-winning Padres went 43-38 at PETCO en route to an 88-74 season. As you pointed out, most playoff teams were around the 50-win mark.

The Phillies admittedly feel extra pressure to win at home, but the relentless fans are only one aspect. Manuel theorized that his players try too hard to hit homers at home, and the pitchers try to be too careful, leading both to sometimes come off their game. Moving the fences back five feet has helped, but so will keeping the same approach to playing on the road.

I was amazed to see how similar the numbers of Phillies third-base prospect Mike Costanzo were to Chase Utley's and Howard's during their first full Minor League season. If Costanzo puts up good numbers at Double-A Reading this year, would there be a chance he could form a platoon with corner infielder Wes Helms in 2008?
-- Dennis R., Havertown, Pa.

A shoutout is merited to Delco Times reporter Dennis Dietch, who wrote a great feature on Costanzo and pointed out those statistics.

As for possibly platooning with Helms in 2008, I don't see it happening. The organization prefers to give Costanzo a full year at Triple-A in 2008 -- assuming he progress enough in 2007 -- so Costanzo would have to play well enough to alter that thinking.

What are the chances of the Phillies signing Bernie Williams? He's a left-handed hitter who has had a very productive career?
-- Craig W., Reading, Pa.

Same as they were last week: Slim.

Whatever became of Randy Wolf?
-- Bill M., New Orleans, La.

Check the Dodgers roster -- Wolf signed with the Dodgers this winter. While you're at it, you'll come across Mike Lieberthal, too. Both players signed there and will get to play for their hometown team.